Suit and Lawsuit: A Judge’s Pants

Washington Post columnist Marc Fisher profiles a litigious D.C. judge who wants millions — MILLIONS! — because the cleaners misplaced his pants. If the story weren’t so ridiculous, it would be …well, it’s just ridiculous.

He says he deserves millions for the damages he suffered by not getting his pants back, for his litigation costs, for “mental suffering, inconvenience and discomfort,” for the value of the time he has spent on the lawsuit, for leasing a car every weekend for 10 years and for a replacement suit, according to court papers.
[Roy] Pearson is demanding $65,462,500. The original alteration work on the pants cost $10.50.

By the way, Pearson is a lawyer. Okay, you probably figured that. But get this: He’s a judge, too — an administrative law judge for the District of Columbia.

In the immediate case, this is a nightmare for the Chung family that runs Custom Cleaners, who are spending thousands of hard-earned dollars to defend themselves from complaint after complaint.

But more generally, this kind of litigation frenzy has serious implications for our America’s competitiveness. It was just a month ago that the Pacific Research Institute released a study documenting how America’s out-of-control legal system hits the economy with $865 billion annually in direct and indirect costs.

According to the study, the $865 billion spent on tort costs each year represents 2.2 percent of our GDP, compared to 0.9 percent from other advanced economies. In the private sector, this is over $367 billion per year in lost product sales for America companies because spending on litigation curtails investment in research and development.

“It’s time for Congress to wake up and realize that America can no longer be a nation of the lawyers, by the lawyers and for the lawyers,” [NAM President John] Engler said.

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Too Bad I just came across this recently. I would have send Pearson one of my pants and asked him if it is his pants. Anyone interested in sending him your pants? I’ll bet you he’ll have enough pants he wouldn’t need to sue another dry cleaner.

I’m sure the Chungs are sitting in court wondering what planet they’ve landed on while watching this Judge cry over his lost pants. That fact that this was allowed to go forward at all is ridiculous and sets a bad precedent. When their business says “satisfaction guaranteed” it means they can and will generally satisfy most all sane people with new pants, a free dry cleaning or replacement cost. That will generally satisfy most people. If not, you go somewhere else. Jeez, this is a phrase that’s been used in businesses as far back as I can remember. The court should order that this judge be put in a booby hatch for a few months, pay the chungs court costs and throw out the case. nuff said…

This “Judge” should be charged with wasting the court’s time,frivolous law suits and should at the very least not only pay the Chungs legal bills but should have to pay them for their suffering in the same amount he is asking for.

How is the man a Judge and please explain how he has been able to take this to court?

This “Judge” should be charged with wasting the court’s time,frivolous law suits and should at the very least not only pay the Chungs legal bills but should have to pay them for their suffering in the same amount he is asking for.

How is the man a Judge and please explain how he has been able to take this to court?

This “Judge” should be charged with wasting the court’s time,frivolous law suits and should at the very least not only pay the Chungs legal bills but should have to pay them for their suffering in the same amount he is asking for.

How is the man a Judge and please explain how he has been able to take this to court?

Hello,
I just wanted to send you the following advisory with updates to the Pearson v Chung drycleaner case. Please let me know if you have any questions.
On May 31, 2007, D.C. Administrative Law Judge, Roy L. Pearson, filed a Pre-Trial Brief in the Pearson v. Chung dry cleaner case. In the brief, Pearson shifts the focus of his claims from his allegedly lost pants to claims related to signage in the Chungs.

Think about it. The rich in this country along with politicians want to do away with “frivolous lawsuits”. Judges hate it too. I believe this incident is staged to gain support in passing laws making it difficult to sue. Who benefits? The rich and powerful. I don’t condone frivolous lawsuits but with the way the politicians align themselves with the rich, they will make it difficult or even impossible to sue even when it’s fully justified. This whole situation stinks! A judge suing a mom and pop cleaners for 65Mil???? He knows he will never get it! He also knows how this situation will enrage people enough to give up the ability to sue at all!

Tell the truth guys, the NAM invented this fellow. No one could be that blatantly arrogant, stupid, evil and self-destructive. If this case doesn’t convince Congress that the system needs reigning in nothing will. I linked to you from Judge Roy L Pearson – Sometimes the Customer is dead wrong – http://plancksconstant.org/blog1/2007/05/judge_roy_l_pearson.html

I am so disgusted that the “Honorable” (not in my book!!) Judge Roy Pearson is being allowed to pursue this ridiculous suit. If you read the divorce papers, he wasted so much of the court system’s time and money fighting his ex-wife. He is on a power trip and is abusing his oath to American justice. How interesting is it that he is attacking a local dry cleaners so shortly after a divorce and his appeal in his divorce did not go through….can you say BRUISED EGO?? Now he is taking his expertise and status in the legal system to NEW HEIGHTS!! He wants to prove that he is the ultimate Lawyer and Judge at the expense of this hard working family. He is giving our country a bad name and basically “spitting” not only on the judicial system, but also on all the men and women that are serving in our military to protect our freedom’s granted us in the United States. By FREEDOM….that should not include a right to sue for $64 million dollars over a pair of pants. I hope that he is never allowed to serve in the court system or judicial system ever again…hopefully somebody takes this man to the CLEANERS!!

Kindly have the judge try on the pants. If they fit, place the judge wearing the pants in wet concrete. Allow the concrete to harden for days, then place the judge and his pants in the river,any river and allow him to swim.